Drs. L. H. D. J. Sala work in progress Jan 19,
2013 adapted june 2013
Abstract: dementia is, apart from genetic code,
epigenetically dependent on lifestyle and personality. This dependency, in
relation to suggested remedies, therapies and methods, is investigated in an
enneagram context and yielded a general insight in how dementia is also related
to the division and antagonism in the psyche between personality/ego structures
and the inner layers (inner child, higher self, unconscious). Seeing dementia
as a way to free the deeper layers and loose the “ego” helps to choose between
the many preventive therapies.
Dementia (cognitive degradation) has, with the
growing numbers of seniors, become a fairly common ailment. It comes mostly as
Alzheimer's, but Vascular Dementia, Parkinson's, Huntington's also fall under
the broad description of dementia. Now there are many studies about what this
is, what behavioral effects it has, what the physiological and genetic causes
are and how it manifest in the brain. There are many tests, suggestions and
recommendations how to spot dementia in an early stage, how to counteract or
decelerate the process, from physical exercises to brain exercising, puzzling,
creativity stimulation and dietary measures. A real cure, alas, has not been
found, at best we can diminish and slow down the symptoms of progressing
degradation.
Now by reading about dementia, and there are
good books and articles looking at it from the classical allopathic perspective
and of course modern brain research and imaging techniques have yielded a lot
of information, I noticed they are mostly based on the rational causality paradigm, at best with an
epigenetic touch. The general consensus seems to be that the root lies in
genetic conditions, but the way we live hastens or delays the onset. By
carefully choosing life conditions, food, exercises of brain and body one could
stave off or at least mitigate the symptoms, is the message.
Now by
going over the indicators and realizing my mother ended her life in a clearly
demented state at her late eighties, I have to admit I am at risk becoming a
dementia patient, probably with APOE-e4 Alzheimer's risk gene. Now being 63, I
can see and feel that my memory is slowly deteriorating, my flares of
unnecessary anger increase and even when writing I have to consult dictionaries
and reverts to Googling much more than ten years
before. So what to do about those indicators, like lifetime depression, mood
disorders or instability and increased distractibility, irritability,
agitation, and irregular sleep, aggressive behavior, over activity and even
psychosis, institutionalization is the
threatening perspective, or is there another way to approach this?
I could
start playing scrabble, fill in crosswords and exercise, maybe look at what I
eat better, meditate and hope for the best? Or should I wait till the medical
and scientific hero’s find a cure, reprogram stemcells,
reconstitute my DNA to rebalance the sugar (glucose) processes in my braincells or what, a way to fight the plaques of protein amyloid beta, the free radicals and anti-oxidize my brain
(or heart and guts where part of our mind seems to be too)?
Not my
style, I have always looked at RSI (Mouse-arm), rheumatism, autism and other
ailments not as causes, but as symptoms, and often was able to see that the
disease really is a friendly warning about underlying and more fundamental
causes. I believe the body follows what the psyche (the mind at all its
conscious and unconscious levels) instigates, we are the architects and
steersmen of our life.
Looking at myself, and using my (somewhat
autistic) tendency to systematize, I am trying (and explain this in this and
other articles) to find out what could
be the causes of dementia in my case and see what can be done. I do have a
dementia inclination in the genetic material, so I will have to use epi-genetic methods to escape or diminish the probability.
But what will really help? There are too many suggestions and too little time
to do all, and honestly I don't like scrabble or puzzles and believe the work
in our garden is exercise enough and I like it, no fun extensively biking or
running to keep the system on par.
In this perspective I believe our lifestyle and
thus the risk of dementia diseases (and all other diseases to some level) is
connected with our personality structure and the way our conscious and
unconscious psyche governs our behavior and health. There are many way to look
at the psychic matrix, astrology, personality typing, Freudian, Jungian,
transpersonal, etc. etc. but as a fairly general idea the notion that there is
a deeper (usually hidden and un- or subconscious) layer and a superficial
personality or ego can be recognized. Know thyself in most traditions means
letting go of the external, the fake masks, the attachments to status and material
possessions. Reconnecting and living the real self however is not an easy task
and most of us don't really achieve this.
Fewer agree
with the idea of a subpersonality matrix (more ego’s)
or see that as a pathological multi-personality syndrome or Dissociative
identity disorder (DID) condition, while I think most of us have more subpersonalities. Working with this and the antagonisms
between subpersonalities and deeper psychic
structures as root causes of many ailments is described in other articles (www.lucsala.nl) and is elucidated in the Lucidity approach and
other articles. We switch
between the subpersonalities and certainly in de
West, loose contact with the deeper self (inner child, higher self,
subconscious layers of the psyche). Ignoring this in psychological and medical
research and treatment limits the results, and as I looked at research in
Alzheimer’s, I noticed that there is little or no interest in personality type
effects. Now there are many ways to look at personality and lifestyle, and I am
not a great believer in the Enneagram approach (Ichazo,
Naranjo, Riso) as it lacks
the subpersonality multiplicity I mentioned, but it
is widely known and I have worked with it since 1990. If seen as an indication
of the dominant mask state and thus life style it can be used to differentiate
between the factors influencing dementia.
I used a
methodical but intuitive approach (divination, a method I have applied to
hundreds of problems and thousands of cases with good feedback) with some
interesting findings about dementia in relation to enneagram personality types
to differentiate the effects of the various proposed therapies and relate them
to the enneagram type (see data below and xls file).
As a first sample I looked at how the enneagram type (of the dominant ego, the
inner child and other subpersonalities usually have a
different type) reflects in our chances to suffer from dementia.
What
are your chances of having dementia per type?
|
Enneagram type |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
|
Alzheimer’s AD |
susceptibility % |
12 |
16 |
21 |
18 |
16 |
22 |
16 |
23 |
14 |
|
Vascular Dementia VD |
susceptibility |
3 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
Parkinson’s PD |
susceptibility |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
This
already indicates serious differences between personality types. In the
enneagram literature there is scant mention of this, just some remarks that 8’s
are more prone to dementia. As you might notice, the numbers, although obtained
by divination, kind of agree with general numbers of how many people will
contract dementia.
Based on
the above, I looked at more specific effects (see data sheets below) and slowly
the notion emerged, that dementia with all the negative connotations is also a
way to counteract what our personality (as a defense system) brings to us in
dissociation and separation from our deeper self.
So what if we try to see dementia and Alzheimer
as a friend, as a way to improve, and as a warning signal. Maybe we have to
look deeply into what we really want, why we are here in this incarnation, this
body and this situation, but why not see the disease or the first symptoms that
indicate the disease, as positive, as a signpost. I am not only referring to
the fact that dementia patients (maybe with the exception of the period when
then become aware of the condition) are not generally unhappy. We can make
jokes about how their life, relationships and friendships change, but unless
there is real physical discomfort or lack of support, many patients seem happy,
relaxed and less bothered by the rat-race we, the healthy ones, have to endure.
If we look at what really matters, after all
the material and physical needs are gratified, and here I go somewhat beyond
Maslow's hierarchy, things like happiness, peacefulness, tranquility,
unconditional connectedness, detachment come to mind, the things an Alzheimer’s
patient might experience more than us, healthy ones. In my worldview and
vocabulary, I think that reconnecting with the inner child state (the higher
self, the soul) and letting go or at least integrating the masks
(personality/ego) is what life is all about and dementia might be a back door
to achieve this.
I have a feeling that this is where the
soul/inner child/higher self kicks in, and in the case of dementia forces upon
us a state, where we are more in touch with those deeper wishes and desiderata,
with the soul strata. We can let go of material and relational worries, and
reach a state of inner child realization, with whatever symptoms that brings.
Now one might challenge this, dementia is a
nasty condition after all. Who wants to become a stranger to his relatives,
forget what happened, lose control over one's destiny and dependent on other
for basic care? Of course it would be nice if we could do without those
horrible side effects, but wouldn't it be better if we looked at the real root
causes than just dealing with the symptoms. Those root causes, I believe, are
fundamentally not material, although the right food, exercises or drugs could
help to mitigate the symptoms. This of course assumes that at some level our
genetic code is a soul choice, but I am an idealist and believe in free will.
Suppose the Alzheimer is there to help one
achieve what one really came to do here in this incarnation, a cure for what
our conscious mind could not grasp, so we get what we really need, a dose of
childishness. And in order to prevent this, we have to look at what helps us in
that direction.
In other words, in order to prevent these
diseases, we would have to let go of our masks, which are what keeps us from
opening up and enjoying (or properly integrating) the inner child state.
This is quite a different view of dementia, but
how to make it practical. I think it helps to look at what happened earlier in
life and especially at what health or psychological problems developed before.
In my case, the one at hand, the most obvious is rheumatism (Besnier-Boeck-sarcoidosis), a condition I have since about
50 years of age and has been painful and crippling at times. It had an
intermediate cause in the digestive system, effects the lungs and makes me a
wheelchair patient at times. However, time has taught me that it has to do with
a subpersonality mode of anger and feeling rejected.
Whenever that happens, I have to be very careful with my food and easily
develop inflammations and other sarcoidosis symptoms. So the deep root of my
condition lies at the psychological level, and is closely related to emotions
(in the body) and feelings (in the mind) traceable to a certain mask behavior
in me. Of course there is a genetic inclination, other family members have or
had rheumatic complaints and related diseases (Bechterew),
but individual epigenetic conditions vary.
Now it is clear that despite my knowing of this
and efforts to eat properly, watch my weight and take appropriate medicine or
homeopathic remedies, use radionics at times and
trying to untangle the psychological roots, it still pops up. In other words, I
have not effectively defused all the tension between this mask (personality
state) and the deeper wishes or directions of my inner child (higher self). Now
if that is the real cause of my dementia I better find out how to know, accept
and integrate my masks (and I see how my mother had to deal with a mask or
masks because of WW II) . This is not really new, all spiritual traditions
mention that we have to die to our “perceived” self with its material
attachments and look for the “higher self” or soul, divine spark or inner
child, all more or less the same.
So looking at the multitude of potential cures
and remedies, see methodology and attached tables, I began to recognize in my
numbers and ratings the pattern, that uncovering the inner child would be the
best way to deal with the threat of dementia. For Alzheimer’s and Vascular
Dementia it is different than for Parkinson’s, but there is a kind of pattern.
If we have access the mask or subpersonality where we
most push away the childlike qualities, the feelings, emotions and that what
made us vulnerable in early childhood, that’s where we can hope to change to
course of these diseases, in fact do consciously what otherwise creeps up
unconsciously and makes us the patient we don’t want to be. This is not an easy
process, we have to inspect, stress, exercise, release, and work with what we
probably all our life tried to hide and push away. Not only a brain workout,
but a soul workout, reconnection with the inner child scenario we brought to
this incarnation, we have to strengthen our original inclinations, rediscover
the talents there, and make space to enjoy them, in meaningful connections and
relations with people, things, art, pleasure, and why not, sex. That might mean
getting out of the rat race, unhappy relationships, bad eating and living
habits, it might mean very big changes.
If we see dementia as a way of bringing about
the integration of inner child and masks, we can also look at how this works
inside the brain, where things like white spots and damage to the protein
processes at the neuron level are an indication of dementia. In my
interpretation this could mean the brain is switching off certain functions
that are related to the functioning of our “masks”. I have noticed that there
are substances, notably gold, that help one to shield the brain from external
“brain waves”. Crowns (of Kings and such) have traditionally been used in
situations where such shielding was desirable. Some “drugs” like cannabis have
a similar effect, but at what dose this is helpful and where does the cure
become counterproductive is hard to say.
If I look at what Dr. Gray Small, a
psychiatrist and the director of the UCLA Center of Aging suggest; “We found,
in our studies, when we teach people memory exercises that their brains
actually become more efficient, so they can, in a way, lift more brain weight,
with less energy," I think that exercising our feelings and emotions is
even more effective. Flexing physical muscles, mental muscles, maybe fine, but
what matters is flexing our soul muscles. Lifestyle changes, often advocated as
a way to stave off dementia, should be the result, not the remedy. We will
change if we can do away or better, integrate our masks.
Alzheimer’s onset is a usually a slow process,
with usually an initial stage where the patient becomes aware of the disease
and the symptoms. This stage (and it might take some time) is, for many, a
difficult one, as accepting the dementia and becoming dependent in itself is
traumatic and adds a lot of stress to
the picture. As I basically looked at the general effect of remedies and not at
how they affect this change-over state problems, it is possible that some
treatments are effective in dealing with that initial state and the mostly
psychological symptoms there, while less effective dealing with the dementia
itself. Notably Cannabis is helpful for some to deal with the worries and
stress of losing control in that period.
By assessing, in an intuitive (divination) way
what the effects (in prevention and/or treatment to reduce or stabilize
symptoms) are of the many suggested remedies, treatments, advices, found in
scientific and other sources, I compiled a long list of what I subjectively
(but based on a long experience with this method) rated as relation with
dementia incidence (the spreadsheet
is here). In this process certain trends become visible, which can be checked
against other data and might lead to insights. Take for example the notion that
forced (peaking) high blood pressure could be a way to fight Vascular Dementia,
methods like the Kambo treatment (frog poison, a
Brazilian treatment with peak high blood pressure effects) are then a logical
avenue to investigate. In general an image of how and what these diseases are,
what can be done and also why there are differences in what clinical studies
reveal. Here I also use the enneagram, a system that yields good results
concerning the personality/mask characteristics of people. It has clearly
limitations, doesn’t deal with the multiple subpersonalities
and inner child type we all have, but as an indication of the dominant subpersonality where most diseases arise it helps to build
this matrix of understanding dementia as related to inner-child/mask differences
and oppositions.
It would be better if a matrix covering both
inner child type (the original life-plan or incarnation scenario) and more
masks, but this would become too complex. In individual cases however, using the Lucidity matrix and approach
I developed, this could help. In fact, many of the insights described here are
the result of self-observation, using this approach and systematizing and
expanded the finding to broaden the hypothesis.
I am using the enneagram
here to show that there are differences in how a treatment or remedy varies in
effects depending on the personality. This is important and usually overlooked
in clinical tests, people are different and even in that there is development,
due to age and experience. The enneagram is a practical tool, although I miss
in it the connection with the higher self and subpersonalities.
This limits the practical use, but the system is instrumental here in what I
want to show about the differences between types, but Myers Briggs personality
typing or other approaches would also work. There are systems that use a
developmental model on top of the enneagram, like the work of Keyserling and the Spiral Dynamics developed in 1970 by Dr.
Clare Graves (also Beck 2006, Ooten 2010) uses a view
of the evolution of human consciousness in history and during our life,
allowing a more multi-dimensional understanding of the development in our
lifetime. Working with levels of consciousness at each enneagram point helps to
asses progression and maturation in inner development and behavior. It has some
similarity to what Don Riso already described as
enneagram development levels, but there is a touch of Maslow hierarchy too.
What lacks in their approach I think is the notion, that individuals (but also
larger organizations) might have more (sub)-personalities and a basic (higher
self/inner child) mode that un- or subconsciously plays a role too.
All this is of course the result of my personal
need to understand my chances of dementia and what to do about it. It maybe is good to explain here that I
myself am (apart from Sagittarius, Leo rising) a very outspoken (bossy,
obnoxious, black/white) enneagram 8 type (in my dominant mask) but also a 9 in
my inner child and there is a subpersonality 7 that sometimes comes out. The 8
however is clearly my life style, independent, the boss, the entrepreneur,
going against all rules, like an animal looking for the weak spots in
everything (including medical practice). For an 8, the main issue is anger
(revenge, defense) and the root is in the body (intuition) awareness. Looking
at my health track record, not very good with after age 50 quite severe sarcoidosis, little overweight, some gout, but with a good
skin and young appearance it seems I keep the acidity (causing rheumatism) at
bay, but it pops up with severe symptoms when I feel attacked, not respected,
rejected, especially by women and sex related. It’s not the openly expressed, I
am mostly affected by the hidden negative emotions towards me, I am very
sensitive to people (and organizations) being “real”, honest, open. The hidden
and repressed anger I deny (counteracting what comes towards me by being smarter,
faster, obnoxious) is obviously the root problem, this came out many times when
the sarcoidosis hit me. I can fight the disease with
a diet (no trans-fats, msg) and the pain with pain
killers but it is the state of consciousness I am in that will mostly influence
the way I get rid of the symptoms. I have to get back into my inner child
state. Of course I don’t succeed in staying there, so the disease is a constant
companion in my life. In other words, I have not yet fully intergrated
my (sub)-personalities and now that I am 63 (born dec.
1949) the pre-dementia symptoms like MCI (mild cognitive impairment) are
becoming noticeable.
So what to? From the above it is clear that
enneagram 8’s are more prone to this than other types, I recognize some of my mother’s
behavior in me (she died at 89 very demented, AD and VD) and so I have to
choose what method or remedy is suitable. (This explains why in the data sheet
I mostly looked at 8 effects). I think that more “work” on my inner child
state, choosing an environment with less stress and less “unreal” or dishonest
influences would help. The data obtained help me there, but I hope are also a
rich source for others interested in dementia.
As a prevention the intake op EPA seems to be
the best cause of action in my case, so I will try that for a while, working at
the psychologic causes at the same time. Now as
trans-fats and bad oil products are definitely also at the base of my
rheumatism and gout taking some supplemental fishoil
with high Omega 3 EPA makes sense, as I assume that all my symptoms are in a
way related.
If we can see dementia as an attempt by the
higher self to remove the ego-masks and subpersonalities,
we could see it as a way to shut out (manipulate) the daily chaos and
conditioning that keep us from experiencing the inner stillness and tranquil
detachment. The prevention or cure of the dementia condition can then be found
in various means to defuse or penetrate the mask(s) and so defuse the
unconscious way leading there, the disease. This will be different means, as we
all have built our mask as a defense or coping mechanism with a different
situation and with a different ultimate life scenario and life style. Enneagram
analysis can help to decide on the most helpful remedy. In general the antidote
to the “child state” forced upon us by the dementia processes could be found in
voluntary and conscious “work” to recover and reconnect to the inner child
state and this would also lead to a change in life style. The same methods and
remedies used to fight dementia now could be effective, depending on
personality type, only the choice between them and their effectiveness could be
related to the suppressed parts of the inner child. Forced participation in
“mask” activities, often prescribed as cure, might be counterproductive.
Comments welcome mailto:sala@dealerinfo.nl
L. Sala jan 2013 sala@dealerinfo.nl
There are
so many treatments and methods dealing with dementia, but very few relate them
to the personality type (enneagram e.g.) , so I tried to differentiate between
types and see what effect different treatments and approaches have. Most
remedies are ineffective, it seems, but some work. The data are also as a
spreadsheet available here.
What
are your chances of having dementia per type?
|
Enneagram
type |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
|
Alzheimer’s AD |
susceptibility % |
12 |
16 |
21 |
18 |
16 |
22 |
16 |
23 |
14 |
|
Vascular Dementia VD |
susceptibility |
3 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
|
Parkinson’s PD |
susceptibility |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
Treatments and
their effectiveness for different dementia types
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
More specific
the effects for Alzheimer’s are in relation to the enneagram personality
types;
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A posting
by Dr. Mercola June 2013
In recent years, researchers studying natural
compounds have offered new hope. For example, two recent studies suggest that
compounds in cinnamon, as well as vitamins B12, B6, and folate
may delay the onset and/or slow progression of the disease.
The Promise of Cinnamon and Vitamins in the
Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease
The first study in question, published in the
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease3, found that cinnamaldehyde
and epicatechin, two compounds found in cinnamon,
have an inhibitory effect on the aggregation of a particular protein called
tau. Tau plays a large role in the structure and function of neurons.
But while a normal part of cell structures,
this protein can begin to accumulate, forming “neurofibrillary
tangles” that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Both compounds were found
to protect tau from oxidative damage that can lead to dysfunction.
Donald Graves, adjunct professor in UCSB's
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and co-author of
the study explained the protective process to Medical News Today4:
"'Take, for example, sunburn, a form of
oxidative damage. If you wore a hat, you could protect your face and head from
the oxidation. In a sense this cinnamaldehyde is like
a cap. While it can protect the tau protein by binding to its vulnerable cysteine residues, it can also come off,' Graves added,
which can ensure the proper functioning of the protein.”
It’s interesting to note that there’s a high
correlation between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Some even believe
Alzheimer’s may be a form of brain diabetes. Insulin and insulin receptors in
your brain are crucial for learning and memory, and it’s known that these
components are lower in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to the above findings, cinnamon has
also been found to have beneficial effects on blood glucose management in type
2 diabetics. This is one of the reasons I include cinnamon in my healthy
coconut candy recipe.
B Vitamins Again Show Promise in Alzheimer’s
Prevention
The other study, published in Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences5, found that vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid
may help slow the progression of the disease, confirming and supporting
previous studies. As reported in the featured article6:
“The fact that B-family vitamins may play a
significant role in dementia, or more specifically in warding it off has been
consistently illustrated. What is news from the current study, however, is that
high-dose B-vitamin treatment in people at risk for the disease ‘slowed
shrinkage of whole brain volume,’ and especially reduced shrinkage in areas
known to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease.”
The 156 study participants, all of whom were
over the age of 70, were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. This, along
with midlife hypertension, midlife obesity and diabetes, is a known risk factor
for Alzheimer’s. One group of participants received a placebo while the other
received high-dose B-vitamin treatment consisting of:
•0.8 mg folic acid
•20 mg vitamin B6
•0.5 mg vitamin B12
It is important to note that vitamin B12 comes
in many forms and it is typically injected because it is not absorbed well by
most people, especially in the elderly who need it most. This is due to it
being one of the largest vitamins known. The most common form is cyanocobalamin but a better from would be methylcobalamin. A better alternative to B12 injections
would also be sublingual sprays, which are absorbed very similarly to the
injections.
The treatment effectively slowed shrinkage of
the whole brain volume over the course of two years. It also reduced, by as
much as seven-fold, the cerebral atrophy in certain brain regions that are
particularly vulnerable to damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Another
major boon: The supplements cost less than 50 cents a day and are readily
available in pharmacies and health-food stores. In the placebo group, higher homocysteine levels at baseline were associated with faster
atrophy in these same regions. According to the researchers7:
“We... show that the beneficial effect of B
vitamins is confined to participants with high homocysteine...
and that, in these participants, a causal Bayesian network analysis indicates
the following chain of events: B vitamins lower homocysteine,
which directly leads to a decrease in gray matter atrophy, thereby slowing
cognitive decline.
Our results show that B-vitamin supplementation
can slow the atrophy of specific brain regions that are a key component of the
AD process and that are associated with cognitive decline.”
Dr. A. David Smith, professor emeritus of
pharmacology at Oxford University, founding director of the Oxford Project to
Investigate Memory and Ageing, and senior author of the study told Bloomberg
News8 that this B-vitamin treatment is “the first and only disease-modifying
treatment that’s worked. We have proved the concept that you can modify the
disease.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who understands that
without proper nutrition and exercise, your brain will be increasingly
vulnerable to damage with age...
Vitamin B Cocktail Already Used for Dementia
Prevention in Sweden
Three years ago, the same group of researchers
showed that the atrophy rate in patients’ whole brains was reduced by about 30
percent in those taking the vitamin cocktail9. The atrophy rate was even
higher—53 percent—in those who had elevated homocysteine
levels, a benefit that was reconfirmed in the featured study. According to
Bloomberg10:
“The studies, known as Vitacog,
were funded by seven charities and government agencies and vitamin maker Meda AB of Solna, Sweden. Smith
is an inventor on three patents held by Oxford University for B vitamin
formulations to treat Alzheimer’s disease... Vitamin B12 is found in liver,
fish and milk and folic acid in fruit and vegetables. Deficiency of folate and B vitamins is already linked to dementia...
Doctors in Sweden began measuring homocysteine in people who report declining memory about
two years ago, said [Johan] Lokk [professor and head
physician in the geriatric department at Karolinska
University Hospital in Sweden, who wasn’t involved in the study]...
Swedish patients with high homocysteine
are given folic acid and B vitamins, even if they aren’t deficient. ‘We think
the increased homocysteine level could be deleterious
to the brain,’ Lokk said. ‘We wanted to be on the
offensive in diagnosing and treating patients. In our opinion, it is harmless
and cheap.'”
General Anesthesia Could Increase Risk of
Dementia in Elderly by 35 Percent
Related research suggests that being exposed to
general anesthesia can increase the risk of dementia in the elderly by as much
as 35 percent. The research was presented at the annual congress of the
European Society of Anesthesiology (ESA). As reported by Medical News Today11:
“Postoperative cognitive dysfunction, or POCD,
could be associated with dementia several years later. POCD is a common
complication in elderly patients after major surgery. It has been proposed that
there is an association between POCD and the development of dementia due to a
common pathological mechanism through the amyloid
β peptide. Several experimental studies suggest that some anesthetics
could promote inflammation of neural tissues leading to POCD and/or Alzheimer's
disease (AD) precursors including β-amyloid
plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.”
Participants aged 65 and over were followed for
a total of 10 years. Participants exposed to at least one general anesthetic
over the follow-up had a 35 percent increased risk of developing a dementia
compared to those who were not exposed to anesthesia. According to lead
researcher Dr. Francois Sztark12:
"These results are in favor of an
increased risk for dementia several years after general anesthesia. Recognition
of POCD is essential in the perioperative management
of elderly patients. A long-term follow-up of these patients should be
planned."
Tips for Avoiding Alzheimer's Disease
The beauty of following my revised Nutrition
Plan is that it helps treat and prevent all chronic degenerative diseases, from
the common ones like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer's to the
ones you have never heard of or can't even pronounce. So please read the Plan
as soon as you can. It is divided into three helpful sections, Beginner,
Intermediate and Advanced to help you start at the right level.
The plan is the first step in addressing
Alzheimer's disease, which is currently at epidemic proportions, with 5.4
million Americans – including one in eight people aged 65 and over – living
with the disease.
Remember, while memory loss is indeed common
among Westerners, it is NOT a "normal" part of aging, and cognitive
changes are by no means inevitable. People who experience very little decline
in their cognitive function up until their deaths have been found (post-mortem)
to be free of brain lesions, showing that it's entirely possible to prevent the
damage from occurring in the first place… and one of the best ways to do this
is by leading a healthy lifestyle.
•Sugar and Fructose. Ideally, you’ll want to
keep your sugar levels to a minimum and your total fructose below 25 grams per
day, or as low as 15 grams per day if you have insulin resistance or any
related disorders.
•Improve magnesium levels. There is some
exciting preliminary research strongly suggesting a decrease in Alzheimer
symptoms with increased levels of magnesium in the brain. Unfortunately, most
magnesium supplements do not pass the blood brain levels, but a new one,
magnesium threonate, appears to and holds some
promise for the future for treating this condition and may be superior to other
forms.
•Optimize your vitamin D levels with safe sun
exposure. Strong links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer's patients
and poor outcomes on cognitive tests have been revealed. Researchers believe
that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important chemicals in
your brain and protect brain cells by increasing the effectiveness of the glial cells in nursing damaged neurons back to health.
Vitamin D may also exert some of its beneficial
effects on Alzheimer's through its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting
properties. Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your
immune system to combat inflammation that is also associated with Alzheimer's.
•Keep your fasting insulin levels below 3. This
is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin
resistance. However other sugars (sucrose is 50 percent fructose by weight),
grains and lack of exercise are also important factors. Lowering insulin will
also help lower leptin levels which is another factor
for Alzheimer’s.
•Vitamin B12: In addition to the research
presented above, a small Finnish study published in the journal Neurology13
also found that people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of
Alzheimer's in their later years. For each unit increase in the marker of
vitamin B12, the risk of developing Alzheimer's was reduced by two percent.
Remember sublingual methylcobalamin may be your best
bet here.
•Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition plan.
Vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate,
and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. Avoid supplements
with folic acid, which is the inferior synthetic version of folate.
•High-quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such
as krill oil. (I recommend avoiding most fish because, although fish is
naturally high in omega-3, most fish are now severely contaminated with
mercury.) High intake of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA help by preventing cell
damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and
lowering your risk of developing the disorder.
•Avoid and eliminate mercury from your body.
Dental amalgam fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by weight, are one of the
major sources of heavy metal toxicity. However you should be healthy prior to
having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in
my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox
protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
•Avoid aluminum, such as antiperspirants,
non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc.
•Exercise regularly. It's been suggested that
exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid
precursor protein is metabolized14, thus, slowing down the onset and
progression of Alzheimer's. Exercise also increases levels of the protein
PGC-1alpha. Research has also shown that people with Alzheimer's have less
PGC-1alpha in their brains11 and cells that contain more of the protein produce
less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with
Alzheimer's. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique
for my specific recommendations.
•Avoid flu vaccinations as most contain both
mercury and aluminum, well-known neurotoxic and immunotoxic agents.
•Eat blueberries. Wild blueberries, which have
high anthocyanin and antioxidant content, are known
to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. Like any fruit
though, avoid excesses here.
•Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation,
especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a
new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Researchers
suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less
susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease.
•Avoid anticholinergic
and statin drugs. Drugs that block acetylcholine, a
nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of
dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines,
sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain
narcotic pain relievers.
Statin drugs are particularly problematic
because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of
coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of
essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting
the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule
known as low-density lipoprotein.
Other Natural Treatments for Your
Anti-Alzheimer's Arsenal
Finally, there are a few other nutritional
recommendations worth noting for their specific benefits in preventing and
treating dementia. So, although your fundamental strategy for preventing
dementia should involve a comprehensive lifestyle approach, you may want to
consider adding a few of these natural dietary agents to your anti-Alzheimer's
arsenal. These four natural foods/supplements have good science behind them, in
terms of preventing age-related cognitive changes:
1.Coconut Oil: The primary fuel your brain
needs for energy is glucose. However, your brain is able to run on more than a
single type of fuel, one being ketones (ketone bodies), or ketoacids. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat
(as opposed to glucose) into energy.
The medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) found in
coconut oil are GREAT source of ketone bodies,
because coconut oil is about 66 percent MCTs. In fact, ketones
appear to be the preferred source of brain food in patients affected by
diabetes or Alzheimer's.
2.Astaxanthin is a natural pigment with unique
properties and many clinical benefits, including some of the most potent
antioxidant activity currently known. As a fat-soluble nutrient, astaxanthin readily crosses your blood-brain barrier. One
study15 found it may help prevent neurodegeneration
associated with oxidative stress, as well as make a potent natural "brain
food."
The molecules of astaxanthin
neutralize free radicals and other oxidants without being destroyed or becoming
pro-oxidants themselves in the process. It's is a unique molecule whose shape
allows it to precisely fit into a cell membrane and span its entire width. In
this position, astaxanthin can intercept potentially
damaging molecules before they can damage your cells.
You can get some astaxanthin
by taking krill oil, which is a fantastic omega-3 fat supplement. But you can
boost your astaxanthin even MORE by adding a pure astaxanthin supplement to your nutritional regimen. For
optimal absorption, make sure to take krill oil and/or astaxanthin
with a fat-containing meal, since both are fat-soluble.
3.Gingko biloba: Many
scientific studies have found that Gingko biloba has
positive effects for dementia. Gingko, which is derived from a tree native to
Asia, has long been used medicinally in China and other countries. A 1997 study
from JAMA showed clear evidence that Gingko improves cognitive performance and
social functioning for those suffering from dementia.
Research since then has been equally promising.
One study in 2006 found Gingko as effective as the dementia drug Aricept (donepezil) for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer's type
dementia. A 2010 meta-analysis found Gingko biloba to
be effective for a variety of types of dementia.
4.Alpha lipoic acid (ALA): ALA can stabilize cognitive functions
among Alzheimer's patients and may slow the progression of the disease.